Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-11
TUESDAY, OCTOBER IL, 1881.
A Typical Town.

co untry press and their imitators
abr oad to point to the rapid multiple
cation of towns in Los Angeles county
and Southern California as a proof
that there is something unhealthy and
hectic in the growth Of population
and diffusion OF prosperity here
abonts. There have, doubtless, in
many instances been towns started in
Southern California for which there is
NO bresent need, and which will not
fulfill the hopes of their projectors.
HI ere and there downright "wiidcat"
towns, of the Dickens eden" vari-
ETY., have been launched upon the
market by INSCRIPTIONS speculators,
who have taken in and "done for" the
unwary. But in buying town lots, as
in buyihga horse, the old legal maxim
of cdsedt smptori prevails. He is a
very foolish investor who pays for
what he has not seen, requitting him
self of the folly summed up in the
Irish phrase OF buying ga pig in a
poke. " -.
But there are abundant reasons why
towns should spring up in Southern
g alifornia with far more rapidity than
in the East or in Northern or Central
California. The chief of these is that
the section has been extensively
SOU ght out by the wealthy and valetud-
mary as sanitarium. Having selected
y spot to suit themselves, they quickly
gather around them multitudes of
congenial spirits, and they must have
sc hools, stores, public libaries and all
the attendants OF a progressive modern
town, such as hotels, livery stables
and the score of other inevitable acces-
sories. Two other reasons are the
phenomenal growth of the country and
the multiplication of railways, with
to WINS as the invariable corollary.
Then we must remind these cavilers
tn at some of these towns have been
selected5 with great judgment and
handed with inimitable skill. Take
M mrovia for instance. In this case a
n umber of wealthy gentlemen associ-
81 ted themselves together and bought
. large tract Of land adjoining the
most poetical region OF the
San Gabriel valley. Its exception
ally fertile soil was COW
cred with chapperal, greasewood and
ca ctus. But it was located at an al
titu de of about 14O0 feet, it command
ed a view that is absolutely incompar-
able, backed by majestic mountains,
an it was characterized by uniform
hi gh, dry air, of most stimulating,
and at the same time most soothing
quality. Before these gentlemen
placed a lot upon the market they clear
ed large portion of their tract and
laid out long and broad streets. They
then went up into the Saw Pit and
Santa Anita cafions and brought down
their waters in cemented conduits.
This was piped all over the tract.
Nor was that all; Mr.. w. n. Mon
roe, the principal protector of this typ
ical town, which has fittingly taken
his name, had gone to work at the
foot Of the mountains and created for
himself an ideal home. Not content
with erecting all elegant villa he SUR
rounded it with the most prec-
ious vegetation and fora Of
all zones. So favorable was both
the soil and sun to his expert
ment that in less than three years he
had succeeded in empowering HIM
self in bananas, oranges, lemons,
pomegranates, French prunes, and a
great variety Of other deciduous and
semi-tropical and even tropical fruitsS
of course the trees not fully grown but
all advanced to the yielding stage,
and presenting a perfectly enhancing
picture.
It'was not till then that Monrovia lots
were placed upon the market-not un-
til water was piped to every mans
door, with a pressure OF seventy-ninee
pounds to the square inch, admitting
of its being carried to great height,
and with the marvels of vegetation OF
which the place was capable fully
No wonder the lots
sold we'll. Such sagacity and energy
deserved rich return and got it.
But this was not all. These gentle
men by no means stopped there. They
exerted themselves to bring railway
q Monrovia, and they succeeded, the
<r,ins Of the Atchison, Topeka &
4 Torailway having . station at the |